Mikel Merino dropped, White starts and back five picked – Arsenal changes vs Nottingham Forest

Arsenal will have suffered according to Mikel Arteta in the day or two post their 1-0 home defeat to West Ham United which put a near-terminal dent in their hopes of winning the title. The weight of the challenge and the thinness of the group had been showing for a while but came to a head on Saturday.

A trip four days later to Nottingham Forest provides yet another tough challenge to overcome. It is not as though Mikel Arteta has much to choose from when it comes to options either.

However, there is enough to make a structural change and try something completely different to help offset some of the issues. There have been problems, particularly in wide areas and as such, football.london has gone for a back five in their changes from the team that lost at the weekend.

Jurrien Timber, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes keep their places in the team, however, Ben White and Kieran Tierney can operate as wing-backs to offer the width that the side needs. The defensive three offers plenty of experience and quality in the middle while White and Tierney can overlap the wider players and play the crosses needed to cause problems.

Declan Rice and Thomas Partey add the security in midfield and coverage when some defensive players move forward. Myles Lewis-Skelly is suspended for this match and therefore does not come into the thinking.

Riccardo Calafiori had something of a nightmare against West Ham, sadly, and so he offers something only from the bench here. Martin Odegaard should arguably face the drop too, but there is creativity needed and without so many attacking players he still plays.

A dovetailing front two makes up the eleven, Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard complete the team. It’s bold, it’s different but Arsenal are in need of invention and hopefully, this selection brings it.

Changed Arsenal XI vs Nottingham Forest – Raya; White, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney; Rice, Partey, Odegaard; Nwaneri, Trossard.

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